July 20, 2026
ByMaureen Salamon,
Executive Editor, Harvard Women’s Health Watch
- Reviewed byDavid Barzilai, MD, PhD, MBA, MS, DipABLM,
Contributor
If you hear the term “exercise in particular is one of the best-validated stress and mood interventions we have.”
Social connection
Social connection is probably the longevity pillar people neglect most, Dr. Barzilai says. “People will track their macros and their step count to the decimal and never think to protect their friendships with the same intentionality, even though the survival data on relationships rival the data on much of what they are measuring,” he says.
If you’re feeling isolated, try to make connecting with others a regular commitment rather than a grand gesture, he says. “Begin with one recurring, low-pressure point of contact: a standing weekly call with one person, a class or volunteer commitment that puts you in the same room with the same faces again and again, a daily walk somewhere you will see neighbors. Pick one recurring contact and protect it like an appointment, and treat a few real relationships with the same seriousness you would give your blood pressure or your exercise.”
Which pillar of longevity is most important?
The habits most strongly linked to living a longer,
Maureen Salamon is the executive editor of Harvard Women’s Health Watch. She also writes for the Harvard Health Letter, Harvard Heart Letter, and Harvard Men’s Health Watch, as well as for Harvard Health Publishing’s flagship website. …
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About the Reviewer
David Barzilai, MD, PhD, MBA, MS, DipABLM,
Contributor
Dr. David Barzilai is a longevity medicine physician and Harvard Medical School lecturer focused on advancing healthy longevity through evidence-based and precision medicine. He served as medical editor of Harvard Health Publishing’s Pathways to Longevity, its …
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View all posts by David Barzilai, MD, PhD, MBA, MS, DipABLM
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